Dreams
by czeluk
Summary: Aayla Anakin and Asoka have a discussion about clones and the war with Tee Waat Kaa in which Bly confesses his dreams. Set right after Defenders of peace episode.


**Hi. It's my first fanfiction also english is not my native language nevertheless I hope you will enjoy this short story. Please leave a review.**

**I don't own Star Wars.**

Planet Maridun - Lurmen settlement

Bly looked up at the sky where three venator star cruisers from admirals Yularens fleet appeared from hyperspace just few minutes ago. Their last mission had been a close call. It had started with bad intel and decimation of their strike force and went to hell after that. They have lost many good men. Their last minute escape and near collision with a star just added to all their misery. Defense of the Lurmen settlement being just a cherry on top of those very stressful three days.

He needed a day off and a drink. Preferably something very strong. Too bad they usually weren't allowed of the base unless on strict orders and GAR barrack's cantina hadn't much to offer in that department. Maybe he could confiscate some contraband from one of his men. He was fairly certain they had some emergency liquor hidden somewhere on the base.

He was tired. Each day this war was getting worse and worse. They've been fighting for a year now and separatists armies were only growing stronger with no signs of stopping.

He almost got fried yesterday by their newest weapon. If not for Aayla and her very risky stunt he would already be dead. She saved his life and risked hers in the process and not for the first time. She shouldn't do that, he was the one to protect her, to keep her safe. He was her second in command and she was too precious to endanger herself for him.

"We're ready to go commander, sepps shuttle is fueled and their commander is secured on board". Rex voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"All right captain, I'll go to inform the generals".

Bly turned on his hill and went to search for their Jedi. He was fairly certain they went into the Lurmen's leader hut.

When he entered the hut he could instantly tell that the tensions were high. General Secura, general Skywalker and commander Tano were debating with Tee Waat Kaa and it was obvious that the conversation wasn't going how they wanted. They were all tired and some of them were still nursing injuries so they all lacked in the patience's department. Lurmens leadr stubbornness didn't help at all.

"You have to listen to us, it's for your own good"

Skywalker said.

"I've told you before and I'll say it again, our people won't abandon the way we have lived for generations. We don't need your protection and we won't leave this planet"

Tee Waat Kaa's eyes were fixed on Skywalker.

"Don't drag us into your mindless war, you have already done enough. Because of you some of our people want to join you in this conflict and abandon our tribe"

Anakin sighed and rubbed his forehead with his hand. This conversation was ludicrous.

"We never meant to disturb your way of living and certainly we didn't plan to recruit any of your people. But you have to understand that the separatists know were you are and now they will wan't to exact revenge on you. You truly need to come with us, you won't stand a chance against another attack"

Aayla pleaded with the Leader.

"We will stay in our village, neutral as always. Siding with any side of this conflict will only bring more destruction upon us. You have already dragged us into this war without our permission"

Tee Waat Kaa went on.

"This is the way how your republic works, ignoring the needs and rights of others in favor of its own goals"

"Republic may bee flawed but but it's not oppressive, it's build on rights, security and freedom of people living in it. Separatist on the other hand are the ones to threaten those values"

Skywalker argued.

"If that's true than tell me master Jedi what about your soldiers. You've created them, you haven't gave them any choice what to do with their lives. You have just ordered them to fight and die for your cause. For the republic they are just means to an end. Nothing more than slaves"

That last statement brought an eerie silence. The Jedi looked at one another. None of them was really sure what to say. They didn't feel that way about the clones but the couldn't deny the fact how it all looked. Suddenly Bly's presence became a acutely noticeable.

Seeing an opportunity to inform his superiors about their readiness to depart and trying to break awkward silence Bly quickly reported.

"Generals, we are ready to leave this planet and join the fleat. Separatist general is in our custody and admiral Yularen is waiting for us on board his flagship"

"Thank you commander, we will join you shortly" Aayla responded with a weary sigh.

Bly turned to leave the hut and this conversation as fast ass possible but older lurmen's voice stopped him.

"Commander Bly, can I ask you a question?"

That took Bly by suprise. He turned to the rest of the group. The conversation was heated and the topic was delicate to say the least. Especially when your generalls were part of the discussion. He looked at Aayla for a way out of this awkward situation but she wasn't looking at him, it actually looked like she was avoiding his gaze.

"You don't have to answer if you feel uncomfortable but if you chose to grant me my wish I ask you to be as honest as possible"

Now Bly was nervous. What he could possibly want from him? Technically speaking he couldn't order him to do anything besides this much he already told. He could just decline his request but some small voice inside his head told him to indulge the old lurmen. Bly simply nodded his head in confirmation.

"Tell me commander, what are your aspirations"

"I beg your pardon sir?"

"What are your hopes, your expectations for the future? Apart of winning the war of course"

That was unexpected. He just hopped to fight for as long as possible, securing the victory for the republic and its safety meanwhile keeping alive as many of his vode as he possibly could. War was all he knew, he never looked past it.

"I ... never really thought abbot it" Bly answered slowly. "Me and my brothers, we were bread to defend the republic and we will do so for as long as we are alive. We don't have nothing of our own, we don't get paid for what we do, there is no life for us outside of GAR. We only have each other and service in the name of republic. Apart from that there is nothing more for us"

At this point all the Jedi in the tent had their heads down.

"Hmmm ... and what about dreams commander ? What do you dream of ?They say that dreams are hopes that we should aspire to, a secret whispers of our subconsciousness"

He didn't like to talk about it. Usually these were just painful memories of war or hard days of training. Very often they were hunting him in his sleep, especially after hard battles and long campaigns.

"They're mostly about battle sir, about days on Camino when we were training for it or deaths of my vode during it"

He was glad he had his bucket on and that no one could see the pained expression gracing his face.

"Not your memories or nightmares, your actual dreams" Tee Waat Kaa pressed Bly.

He swallowed hard and brought his head up to look at Aayla. Sometimes when he was lucky enough all the bad memories were kept at bay and in those nights he dreamt of her, of them together just loving each other, maybe even raising children together. But he couldn't embarrass her like that in front of other Jedi.

"I ... sometimes dream of being with a woman, in a relationship, loving her and being loved in return. Having a normal life with her, maybe even children"

"Hm..." Tee Waat Kaa looked deep in thought. "So there is something you would wan't from life outside the army"

"I suppose so, but it's beside the point"

"And why is that if I may ask?"

"Because I don't see what woman would settle for a man that is just one of million copies of the same man, who doesn't have anything of his own and don't have any saying in his life"

He felt somewhat angry. Bly understood that he was bread for war but after saying what he said out loud, he realized he wanted more from his life.

"Thank you commander for your honesty"

Skywalker looked at Bly with pensive look on his face.

"Go to the shuttle, we will be there shortly"

"Yes sir"

He left the hut as fast as he could. This whole conversation was frustrating. He should have just refuse Lurmen's leader request. Now he just felt angry, angry and sad because he realized what he truly wanted but never would have.

After Bly left Tee Waat Kaa turned to the Jedi.

"You see, in war the lines between good and bad are always blurred, very often the end justifies the means for booth sides and that leads to distortion and eventually losing of our own selfs in the process"

That was something they all could relate to. With ongoing war Jedi order was changing and becoming something else, an order of monk warriors and not advocates for peace.

Aayla had much to meditate about, but most importantly she needed to talk to her commander. She couldn't see his face but she recognized by his posture that this whole conversation unnerved him. She felt his anger and sadness through the force. She didn't want him to feel that way. She knew that from all the people, he and his brothers deserved to be content and at peace.

She excused herself from conversation and quickly exited the hut in search of Bly.

She needed to talk to him, assure him that she didn't see them that way, as just a humanoid machines always obedient to the will of their generals and the republic.

Though the end of this war was further away from them, than it was even a yer ago, she still hoped it would finally come and all those brave men, because that's how she saw them, not just as disposable clones, would be able to leave the army and finally enjoy the peace and normality they were fighting for for the others.

Aayla knew that society would have hard time accepting them in normal life. Millions of seemingly identical men. Only those who knew them in person, who saw their bravery and selflessness accepted them. But she refused to believe that it was something that couldn't be changed.

For a brief second she wondered about Bly's dreams. Did he saw someone special in them, or was it just a concept of some female showing him love and accepting it in return. Was she human. Or maybe...

_Stop it Secura. Behave like a Jedi._

Fragment of kama disappearing behind one of the Lurman huts that still bore the marks of blaster bolts after separatists attack brought her back from her musings. She picked up her pace and called after him.

"Bly! ... Commander!"

He stopped dead in his tracks at the sound of her voice. He really didn't want to talk about those things with anyone, especially her. She couldn't know the full truth about those dreams. That it was her who was creating this family with him. That it were their children running around the house and looking for new ways of causing mischief.

She was his superior and a Jedi. Even if by some miracle he would survive the war and by the _grace_ of the republic was allowed to leave the army, she still had her obligations to the order. Jedi code strictly forbid attachments. Besides she probably didn't feel anything for him.

He turned on his hill and straightened his pose waiting for her to catch up with him.

"Yes general? Is there something I can help you with, sir?"

His formal response made her cringe inwardly. They were way past such formalities when they were alone. At least she thought so. Almost a year of fighting side by side and watching each others back helped to connect with others. She was reluctant to admit it but they have become attached to each other, even though her order's code strictly forbid attachment. But now she had a feeling that for some reason he tried to distance himself from her.

"Bly, I hooped we could talk ... in private."

She thought she saw a flash of uneasiness in his eyes.

"Sir?"

His posture was rigid. He definitely was uncomfortable. Out of respect for him she didn't want to probe his feelings with the force. He was acting different than usual though, like he had something to hide from her.

Aayla checked the inside of the nearby hut. It was empty aside from few wicker baskets with some strange looking fruits.

"Lets step inside" she suggested pulling away curtain covering its entrance.

Voices of children playing in the distance and soothing whirr of the wind should be putting him more at ease. It was so different than constant sound of blaster fire, explosions and never ending screams of agony of his wounded vode. But he wasn't at ease. The conversation with the Lurmen leader made him anxious and the fact that Aayla was there too only made it worse.

Not having much of a choice he stepped inside. She was right behind him.

_Stang! Where was a kriffing droid ambush when you needed one..._

When he turned around he noticed that she looked nervous. This was strange. She was a Jedi, they rarely showed emotions. At least that's how he saw other Jedi. Not his general though, she liked to crack a joke from time to time an she was carrying for all of the man in 327th. But she never looked nervous. Concerned, yes, but not nervous.

"Bly, what Tee Waat Kaa asked of you and what you have told him ... It's not right for the republic to treat you like slaves. They shouldn't make you feel that way about yourselves". She took a deep breath and continued. "We shouldn't make you feel that way."

Her words struck him.

"General you never made me nor any of my brothers feel that way about ourselves." he stated with conviction.

"I did Bly. By agreeing with the Jedi order about using your army in this war, knowing that you were created for this soul purpose and not taking under consideration what will happen to you after it ends I did make you feel like a slave."

With her every word she looked more and more sad. He could see that she felt guilty for the way that many of her brethren saw him and his vode. But he knew that for her, they were something more than just numbers. Each time he got wounded on the battlefield he saw worry etched on her beautiful face. She cared to never unnecessarily risk their lives if there was another way they could achieve their goals and minimize casualties on a mission. She knew them all by their names, not just their numbers.

"I just... need you to know that I don't see you all just as clones, grown to fight and die for something you will never have. Replaceable units with only a number and nothing else."

While talking she moved closer to him and now she was just a breath away. Her azure skin flawless, beautiful light brown eyes shining even in the dimly lit hut.

"For me you are brave and selfless men, each one extraordinary in his own way."

She warily put her hands on his helmet and when he didn't object she gently pulled it of his head. Her eyes bore straight into his. All signs of nervousness that plagued her before now gone.

"And you Bly... you are most extraordinary of them all. For me you are irreplaceable."

He almost forgot how to breathe. Her near presence was intoxicating. Her words were reverberating in his mind. He knew that she cared for him and for his men. There were small signs along the way. But hearing that she cared and valued their lives from her own lips moved something inside of him.

"General ... Aayla, I know that that you view us as men not slaves, I know that you care, and I care about you to. I would give my life in a heartbeat just to protect you."

_And I would give up everything just to hold you in my arms..._

His declaration made her fell happy and sad at the same time. She hoped that it would never came to it but she knew that if circumstances called for it he would not hesitate and sacrifice himself for her. He was her guardian.

_Yeah, like she needed protection. Though she had tendency to find herself in tight spots from time to time, but it was beside the point..._

And although she knew she shouldn't have those thoughts about him, even though she fought them for almost a year now, Aayla wished he could be so much more.

She put a hand on his cheek and smiled sadly. He felt himself leaning towards her warm touch. Her eyes shone with a feeling he could not identify at first, something akin of longing, but it wasn't the only thing he saw in them. There was something else in those beautiful brown depths.

"Bly, I just hope that you will survive this cruel war and see your dream come true. That you will find someone special to share your life with. Someone who will care for you and love you as fiercely as you care for those who are close to you."

Now he was almost certain what he saw in her eyes. But could it be ? Could she truly feel about him the same way he felt about her.

He wasn't sure what pushed him to do that but he realized he was reaching for her. With one hand he grabbed hers on his face, his other tentatively finding her hip. He could felt a shiver running through her at his touch. His heart was hammering wildly in his chest. With just one look of those beautiful eyes, with a smallest touch of her flawless skin, she was making him feel things he wasn't supposed to feel. But he have, for so long now he harbored those feelings for her and now he was just to tired of hiding them.

"What if I already have found someone?"

Bly asked in small voice, so unlike him. Without hiss usual confidence.

At first Aayla didn't know what to say. She felt a heavy weight in her stomach. She should have know that someone would find him as attractive as she did. He was brave, strong, one of the smartest man she ever met. She new that under his facade of fierce leader and relentless warrior, he was truly caring and compassionate soul. She lowered her head unable to look at him in this moment.

A feeling of his hand gently cupping hear chin and prompting her head up made her shiver again. Their eyes met and what she saw in his made her heart race faster.

"In my dreams ... you are the one that I share my life with. I tried but I cannot stop thinking about you. I know it's wrong but ..."

He was silenced by her lips crushing into his with such passion that nearly buckled his knees. Their kiss short circuiting his brain. She pulled him flush against her, not wanting even a millimeter of free space between them. Finally his strong arms circled her waist, one of them gently caressing her leku and prompting her to moan into their kiss. She sucked at his lower lip making him gasp in pleasure, only to slide her tongue into his mouth. His head was spinning with her taste and the feel of her in his arms. The sensation was overwhelming.

Finally after what felt more like hours not seconds, the need of oxygen made them pull away from each other. Aayla sighed contently and put her head on his shoulder.

"I must admit that I've been wanting to do this for some time now" She said caressing his cheek with her hand and purring slightly when he massaged her leku.

She could feel how relaxed he become under his armor.

Bly was just content at the moment, holding her in his arms like these, kissing her soft lips, those things he could do non stop until end of his life.

Just as he was about to respond to hear and assure her that this was also what he wanted, his com signalized incoming message.

It was Rex

"Commander where are you ? We are waiting at the shuttle for you, and also have you seen General Secura?"

Bly looked at Aayla whose cheeks were colored with lite flush.

"I'll be there in a second, I'll try to finde her on the way"

After he hung up he took Ayala's hands in his and kissed her palms.

"Looks like we have to get going"

"So it seams"

She smiled at him with a bit of mischief in her eyes, and gave him quick peck on the lips. When she turned around and was about to leave the hut she just added.

"Come find me in my quarters when we're onboard"

That left him dumbfounded for a moment.

She was definitely going to be the death of him.


End file.
